MENURA. 161 



that the shafts of the feathers of the body in general were so delicate 

 as to give the appearance and softness of fur. 



One specimen, put into our hands as a female, and most likely 

 to prove so, was thirty-five inches in length, from bill to tail, which 

 was cuneiform in shape; the longest, or two middle feathers, being 

 nineteen inches, the outer one eleven ; and all the feathers perfectly 

 webbed, on both sides of the shaft ; the plumage in general deep 

 brown, belly inclined to ash-colour, but the quills and tail darker 

 than the rest ; when the wing was closed the quills reached about two 

 inches beyond the base. 



General Davies, in the JLinncean Transactions? above referred to, 

 has described the male fully, and given a good representation of it ; 

 but that mentioned by him as the female, we rather suspect to be a 

 young male : this is thirty-one inches long, with a dull blackish 

 plumage, inclining to rufous on the chin and throat, and to brown 

 on the scapulars ; the whole covering, from breast to vent, and from 

 the shoulders to the rump, composed of long, slender, thread-like, 

 silky feathers, resembling fringe, of a dull, greyish black, paler on 

 the breast, belly, and vent ; from head to rump fourteen inches ; tail 

 eighteen inches, above dull brown black, beneath grey; the two 

 middle feathers sharp-pointed at the ends, the rest rounded, and 

 darker in colour, shortening by degrees, so as to appear cuneiform ; 

 the two outer ones shortest, in shape like those of the male first 

 described ; and the crescents, which are of a deeper colour, are not so 

 visible, nor so large, but more transparent than in that bird : they 

 are about one inch and a half broad, but not black at the ends. 



The above is all we can collect concerning this very curious bird, 

 and for want of more authentic information, conjecture must supply 

 the rest, as to the change of plumage the sexes undergo before they 

 arrive at the complete adult state. 



The Menura inhabits New-Holland ; said to be chiefly found in 

 the hilly parts of the country, and called by the inhabitants the 



VOL. VIII. Y 



